In practice, British mercantilism provided the colonies with substantial economic benefits such as military protection and guaranteed markets for certain goods.

Americans generally accepted the right of Parliament to tax the colonies to provide money for defense, but denied its right to legislate about colonial affairs.

When Americans first cried “no taxation without representation,” what they wanted was to have their own representatives elected to the British Parliament.

The colonies finally forced repeal of the Stamp Act by organizing political protests and enforcing nonimportation agreements against British goods.

The new British Townshend Acts were not direct taxes, but rather required colonists to shelter and feed British troops in their homes.

The Boston Massacre provoked colonial outrage because the British troops suddenly opened fire on peaceful Boston citizens without any provocation.

After the repeal of the Townshend Act, the spirit of colonial resistance was kept alive largely by agitators like Samuel Adams and his Committees of Correspondence.

Even though the Quebec Act was not really part of the Intolerable Acts, the colonists thought it especially oppressive because of their fear that it would expand Roman Catholicism.

The First Continental Congress proclaimed that the colonies would declare independence from Britain unless their grievances were redressed.

One fundamental American asset in the impending war with Britain was an extensive stockpile of military weapons and supplies.

A key British advantage was that they did not have to defeat all the rebellious American forces, but only fight to a draw in order to crush the Revolution.